The Nordic-Baltic LULUCF project:

overview & findings

Joint Research Center

technical workshop on reporting LULUCF

27 February, 2013 Ispra (Italy) Daiga Zute

Project manager

Phone:+371-67027553

e-mail: daiga.zute@zm.gov.lv

Introduction

The programme goal:

– Public sector cooperation and capacity development.

The project is focused on:

– assessment of forestry and agriculture measures in the context of climate change,

– GHG UNFCCC/KP reporting for the LULUCF sector.

The project aims at:

– strengthening cooperation, networking,

– sharing the regional experiences,

– identifying current difficulties & common challenges,

– and seeking for knowledge transfer and practical solutions.

The project duration is 6 months (September, 2012 – February, 2013).

– 1st in Riga (Latvia) September 24-25, 2012.

– 2nd in Stockholm (Sweden) November 8-9, 2012.

– 3rd in Helsinki (Finland) February 11-12, 2013.

Introduction

Project partners: 5 countries involved in the Project are: Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden. Latvia – leading partner.

The project joins 24 public sector experts from 9 institutions. Public institutions include ministries, universities, research institutes, environmental and forestry agencies. Also stakeholders were invited to participate. In total 57 persons participated: including invited experts, the COM and JRC.

Prominent scientists contributed, including:

• Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU),

• Aarhus University, Denmark,

• Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla),

• Statistics Finland.

Who we are?

What topics we discussed?

UNFCCC/KP reporting - topical issues & challenges: case studies

LULUCF sector

Reporting agriculture land categories

Harvested wood products, including Introduction to harvested wood products

including the new CRF-tables (SLU)

Forest data modeling Results from “Road map 2050 – no net emissions from Sweden” (SLU)

Forest data national modeling tool in Latvia (Silava)

Yasso07 model - estimating CSC

LULUCF Decision: the state of play

Adaptation. Latest results from Finnish adaptation research

IPCCC Guidelines.

Implementation of 2006 IPCCC Guidelines. IPCC 2013 Wetlands Supplement and

2013 Kyoto Protocol Supplement

Wetland drainage and rewetting – the new activity under the Kyoto Protocol

1st seminar

Riga, September, 2012

ESTONIA - the project findings

• General co-operation: covering a lot of problems addressed to

LULUCF reporting and climate change mitigation

• Professionalism: high qualification and knowledge base

• Overview of scientific projects in neighboring countries

• A lot of valuable presentations

• Regional co-operation effect: countries with similar climatic and

forest-related conditions

• Learning from national systems of more experienced countries

• EU Commission members on-board: useful information and insights of

the LULUCF Decision

• Financial support from the programme: also very important aspect

• Collaboration with professionals: more closer and new contacts in

the field of LULUCF

• JRC experts: high quality recommendations

Result: improved experiences and skills & overall increase of

awareness: overview of the existing and future challenges, possible

solutions and best practices related to LULUCF.

LITHUANIA - during the project we have learned:

• LULUCF is a complex therefore goals and preferences are slightly

different

• Strong institutional arrangements (the national systems)

• Mostly the same problems occur in many countries

• Major uncertainties concerning emissions/removals accounting

• Many ongoing scientific projects in neighboring countries.

..relevant and interesting topics selected, efficient discussions, valuable

experience and remarks received, increased cooperation between

neighboring countries, new contacts established.

The main topics to develop with project partners:

• Yasso07 model adaptation. Cooperation with FIN and all Baltic States

• Harvested Wood Products. Cooperation with SE

• Cropland and Grazing land Management. Cooperation of all countries

• Wetlands Drainage and Rewetting. Cooperation of all project partners.

FINLAND on the project

• Ideas to solve practical problems in LULUCF GHG inventory

• Ideas for future research cooperation focusing on to improve and

develop estimation of carbon stock changes on LULUCF sector

• Understanding of national circumstances increased (e.g. legislative

environment, domestic policies)

• Sharing views, knowledge, experiences

• The project established new networking possibilities on the field of

LULUCF GHG inventory

• Involvement of both research oriented persons and administrative

persons in the same project

• Important for new experts to the LULUCF GHG inventory.

SWEDEN on the project

Sweden has joined the project with 12 experts from the Ministry of the Environment,

Ministry for Rural Affairs, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Swedish Forest

Agency and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU).

During the three meetings held in Riga, Stockholm and Helsinki we have

strengthening cooperation and networking which will be very beneficial for the

future. The Nordic and Baltic countries have many commonalities, e.g. high forest

cover and long tradition of forest management traditions, although this project has

shown there are also differences.

When sharing experiences on national systems we found that the national systems

differ substantially among countries. Furthermore, it is clear that there is a need for

continuous improvement.

We have identified difficulties and challenges associated with reporting/accounting

on e.g. agriculture soils, especially on organic soils. Improving estimation of

greenhouse gas emissions from organic soils is one of several possible themes for

future cooperation.

We have initiated discussions on sustainable forestry and agriculture measures to

mitigate climate change which is very relevant in the context of discussions on

LULUCF within EU and UNFCCC. Sharing experiences on forestry and adaptation.

In summary, Sweden believes that the Nordic-Baltic LULUCF-network has been

very successful and appreciates the interesting discussions with Latvia, Finland,

Lithuania, Estonia and invited experts from the European Commission, JRC and

Denmark.

Experiences gained in LATVIA

Capacity of the national authorities and research institutions is crucial.

Relatively narrow network representing similar climatic conditions makes

discussions more targeted thus easier and efficient.

Long term prospective (2020-2050) and climate changes should be

highlighted, especially in forestry.

Separation of cropland & grassland (pastures) is complicated in the

whole region, as there are no actual border between them.

Land use change to settlements (not only deforestation) is important and

hard to account source of emissions.

Reporting of drainage & rewetting is overcomplicated and overlapping in

land use.

Clearer vision of GHG vision in common agricultural policy (CAP) -

how to provide initiatives on individual level for farmers and private forest

owners to reduce GHG emissions? National (or probably EC scale)

initiatives should be elaborated to expand CAP approach to forest lands –

motivation to manage forests to deliver wood products and continuous

grow of annual increment.

Even practical aspects for LATVIA

The network inspired for investigation of several, mostly agriculture

related measures aimed to reduce GHG emissions.

There is an excellent study on emissions from organic soils in Estonia

(will be referred to in Latvia).

The network initiated several research projects in Latvia:

– evaluation of the role of different approaches in grasslands

management – late and early cutting for hay;

– separation of extensively managed cropland as sub-category of

cropland;

– evaluation of CO2 emissions from drained organic forest soils

in old drainage research plots (not funded yet).

General Conclusions

Our experience shows, that

• projects definitely provides a platform for discussions, activates interaction

of experts, also provides an opportunity to invite scientists.

We have:

• Identified common challenges, broadened vision,

• raised capacity, strengthened cooperation and networking of experts,

• gained inspiration, but not only – also some practical solutions.

For the future we are considering:

• Followed initiatives as a new project under the Nordic-Baltic mobility

program;

• Other programs as (COST Action, LIFE + etc.).

Introduction

Visit our website:

https://sites.google.com/site/lulucfnetwork

Thank you for

sharing your knowledge!